Roxy Hastings — page 202: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ROXY HASTINGS. 193 Charles everything that looked like progress in their deep strategy, which was yet so transparent to both its intended victims, and which they saw through every hour of every day—all this need not be told. Charles continued very busy; it was astonishing how many invisible irons he had in the fire, for no one seemed to know what he was about—but he almost shunned Rox- ana, and certainly never met her alone. ._ In the morning, before he went to his ‘‘office,” which Laura said she believed was underground, he was always at the service of his friends. Would they ride? He would send horses. Would they drive? He would order a carriage. Would they go to the new opera? He would secure seats. Then such loads of new books and pictures—of rare fruits and flowers, as he sent home; such tasteful presents as he brought almost daily to some one of the little circle, until his mother told him that he must certainly stop, or take a larger house, for there was no room for anything more. There were unhung pictures behind every door; the library was plethoric with crowded and uncomfort- able looking books, and in the stifling closets the luckless explorers floundered amid a sea of silks and alpacas, of calico and crinoline which hung six deep from all the groaning hooks. Alfred walked out daily, and occasionally rode with Laura and..Roxy, for he was a capital horseman, and the ladies both professed a desire to learn the art of riding well. Once when Charles had ordered horses, and Laura could not go, Alfred and Roxy went alone, to the great joy of the widow, who had arranged this little plot, too. They were gone very long, and when they returned very fresh and rosy Alfred’s spirits seemed so decidedly im- proved that none could fail to mark the change. Roxy also was more light-hearted than she had been for many a day, and from that time forward there seemed to be a change in the relation of these two young people to each other. : There was no longer restraint or reserve between them— they always met with the utmost cordiality, and there were times when Roxy, who was a most sensible and intel-” ligent girl, was able to charm the evil spirit of gloom from the breast of her friend more effectually than either his mother or sister could do. , | Yet, strange to say, while rendering these good offices to Gomichoo cS (e(@) m